Swan Queen Drabbles
by Ivi Poison
Summary: A series of very short ficlets for my favorite ship. (Rating subject to change)
1. episode: lily

**[A/N: Takes place directly after the events of "Lily."]**

As soon as they were outside, Emma turned to Lily. "Can you give us a minute?"

Lily shrugged. "Sure."

"You can't be serious," Emma said once she was out of earshot. "That man is _not_ your soulmate."

"What are you talking about?" Regina scoffed. "Of course he is. It's written in the book, or don't you remember that page?"

"Just because it's 'written' doesn't mean it's true," Emma said. "After all you said to me about beating fate, you're just going to accept it?"

"He's my happy ending," Regina said after a moment, avoiding Emma's gaze. "I don't want to beat this fate."

"Come on, Regina!" Emma was clearly frustrated. "Did you hear the way he reacted when you walked in? He immediately assumed you were crazy. A jealous ex-girlfriend. He doesn't _trust_ you."

"Well, I'm sure he had a good reason - " Regina started, but Emma shook her head.

"He's chosen Marian over you countless times. He chose her over you twice today, before he even knew she was Zelena. Look, Regina, you've been looking out for me, so let me look out for you. You deserve better. He's not your soulmate."

"What, and the pirate is yours?" Regina asked sarcastically before she could stop herself. An uncharacteristic blush tinted her cheeks.

Emma stared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Regina drew in a deep breath. "What do you think?"


	2. coming out

They'd been dreading this for a while now.

Even though her parents had warmed up to Regina to the point where they might almost have been friends, Emma had no idea how they would react when they learned she was dating their daughter. It could go a lot of ways, and to be honest, Emma would have been happy if they never found out.

But Regina had insisted. It was important to her that they could be honest about their relationship. So Emma had nodded and she'd made the call and now here they were at the loft, making uncomfortable small talk over dinner as Mary Margaret and David exchanged pointed glances.

"So," David said after they'd all finished eating, "what is it you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Well..." Emma hesitated, and she looked at Regina, who gave her a supportive nod. "I...for a few months now..."

"Wait!" Mary Margaret interrupted, holding a hand up. "Are you sure you want to tell us this _now_? Maybe you'd like to wait until after dessert!" She jumped up. "I made some peach cobbler."

"Oh," Emma said, blinking in confusion. "Uh. Well. I guess."

"No!" David protested, looking way more put out than seemed appropriate. "Emma, we want to hear about it now."

"I don't think so!" Mary Margaret chirped. She was already pulling the peach cobbler out of the fridge. "I really think it would be much better if we had just a little something sweet before we talk about this - I mean, about whatever this is. Don't you think so, Emma?"

"What is this?" Regina cut in before Emma had a chance to speak. "What is going on here?" It was the tone of voice she used when she was about to lecture Henry, and both Charmings hesitated, giving Emma the pause she'd been waiting for.

"I'm dating Regina," she blurted out.

" _Yes!_ " David crowed, pumping his fist in the air as Mary Margaret groaned.

"That wasn't fair, David! You prompted them!"

David just grinned as Mary Margaret walked back to the table in a huff, slamming the peach cobbler down. Seeing the identically confused looks on Emma and Regina's faces, she explained, "We had a bet."

"A bet?" Regina asked, at the same time Emma said incredulously, "You mean you _knew_?"

"Of course we knew!" David said. "It's been obvious for weeks. I don't think I've seen two people so joined at the hip since, well..." He glanced up at his sulking wife, who reluctantly returned his smile. "Since us."

Mary Margaret nodded as she walked around the table. "And it was obvious you were going to tell us tonight. You've never asked us to have a family dinner without Henry before. The only question was whether it was going to be before or after dessert."

"So...you're okay with this?" Emma asked, looking up at her mother.

"Of course we are," Mary Margaret said. Smiling, she placed one hand on Emma's shoulder and the other on Regina's. "We love you. Both of you. And we want you to be happy."

 **[A/N: I just can't see the Charmings, at this point in the series, having a problem with their relationship.]**


	3. an act of true love

**[A/N: to fix the ending of the S4 finale.]**

When Emma falls to the ground, the dagger is nowhere to be seen.

Regina is the first to react, calling, "Emma? Emma!" as she races to her side. Dropping to her knees, she grabs the blonde's face in her hands and looks into her strangely clear eyes, searching for the darkness that should now lie within her.

"I...I'm all right," Emma says slowly. "I mean, I think I am. I don't feel any different." She looks up, scanning the faces of the people closest to her. Waiting to see the rejection she knows she'll find.

But it isn't there. Instead, she sees Mary Margaret's mouth drop as she turns to her husband, who's wearing an identical look of shock. They move back to face Emma at the same time.

"What?" Regina asks, and Emma shifts her gaze back to realize that the other woman has never looked away. She's still holding Emma's face in her hands, but it's a gentle hold now - almost tender. Emma can't help but to lean into her touch. "What is it?"

"The darkness is gone." The apprentice is standing outside the door to Gold's shop, but his voice rings through the street like he's standing right next to them. "And so is its influence."

Emma's stomach lurches. "You mean I'm safe?"

"How is this possible?" Regina demands to no one in particular, and Emma gets the feeling she already knows the answer.

"Because saving you..." Mary Margaret says, staring at the two women so close to each other on the ground, "...it was an act of true love."

And Emma expects Regina to jerk away, or to dismiss the claim, anything but keep touching her face. Instead, the other woman opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. If Emma didn't know any better, she would call it a look of wonderment.

"True love?" she hears Hook say. "What do you mean, true love?"

"She sacrificed herself for Regina," the apprentice says. "That's true love."

The other voices fade away, and Emma knows they're arguing, but all that really matters is the captivated look in Regina's eyes and how she hasn't responded to the accusation at all and the way she's still holding her face like she's afraid Emma might disappear if she lets go. And Emma's staring back, knowing that if she breaks eye contact the moment will end and she can't bear to let that happen.

Then Regina leans forward and kisses her and Emma kisses back and she finally understands why she'd been willing to sacrifice herself. Why she'd been willing to give up her happy ending without hesitation.

Because somewhere along the way, she'd fallen in love with Regina Mills.


End file.
